Edward Hoffman Brailey

Southport, N.C. - Edward Hoffman Brailey, 58, of Portside Drive, Southport, N.C., and formerly of Niantic, died Jan. 3, 2011, at the UNC Hospital, Chapel Hill, N.C.

He was born in New London, the son of the late Francis and Carol E. (Hoffman) Brailey Jacobson.

Ed is survived by his wife, Jo Anne (Rust) Brailey; his daughter, Teresa Mullaney and her husband, Joe; and son, Dwayne Green; two grandsons, Joshua and Zachery Martin; three brothers, Harold Jeffery Brailey, Danny and Jerome Jacobson; and a sister, Donna "Cookie" Scott.

Besides his parents, he was predeceased by his stepfather, Jerome Jacobson and his son, Chad Brailey.

Ed joined the Niantic Fire Dept. as a junior fire fighter at the age of 16 and is now a life member. He worked at Pfizer for 12 years as a firefighter and then as vice president of Shipman's Fire Equipment Co.

At the age of 37, Ed was diagnosed with Alpha 1 antitrypsin enzyme deficiency. In 2002 he received a single lung transplant and after receiving his new lung dedicated his life to education, awareness, and fundraising for Alpha 1. He volunteered for the New England Organ Donor as a speaker encouraging more people to become donors at high schools, college, and clubs. He also volunteered on the COPD Foundation patient information line to help patients with Alpha-1 to learn how to live a better quality of life and answer questions about this disease. He worked a peer advisor to those people having lung transplants. He created Team Brailey to ride in the Escape to the Cape Bike Trek to raise funds for research for a cure of Alpha-1.

He joined the Alpha-1 Association in 2002 and served as their vice chair. After serving three years, in 2010 he became the chairman of the board. He advocated in state and federal governments to get bills passed which would help people with COPD and Alpha-1. He was a member of the Niantic Baptist Church, Groton Lodge of Elks, New London Kiwanis, and the Toastmaster clubs.

Calling hours will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. on Friday at the Thomas L. Neilan & Sons Funeral Home, 12 Ocean Ave., New London. Interment will be 10 a.m. on Saturday at East Lyme Cemetery, Boston Post Road, East Lyme. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday at Niantic Baptist Church, 443 Main St., Niantic.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Alpha-1 Foundation, Attn: Development Office, 2937 SW 27th Ave., Miami FL 33133 or to the Niantic Baptist Church, PO Box 502, Niantic CT 06357.